The mustard yellow boulder this stack is built on was below the high tide mark when we arrived on the beach and the waves were breaking over it. But I just had to build something on it, it's colour was so impressive. In order to gather together the materials I needed I created a first stack below the cliff, a few feet away from the water, and I waited for the tide to recede enough before getting access to the mustard boulder.
I didn't know the time for high tide though, and each time I thought it was beginning to turn a new set of waves would come pushing me further back. I realised we were cut off so I prayed it wouldn't get too high that we would have to sit it out beyond dark, but still the rollers coming in were powerful and loud. It was an exciting place to be. The power of the sea is something to behold and I missed it (I used to get down to the sea a couple of times a week, the sea around where I live now is in a bay and the waves are not strong).
Finally the tide did turn just a little and I started on the stack on the boulder. Perhaps I started too soon though as the water came up over my boots a few times! But the video footage of the construction with the waves breaking over the boulder made it all worthwhile.
5 or 6 levels from the top I expected it to topple at any moment, but miraculously it stayed standing despite swaying strongly. It was about 6 foot high.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Robin Hood's Bay Pebble Stack
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2 comments:
This is just so beautiful, I would love to come across something like it on a walk on the shore.
This would also make a lovely print. You take good photographs. I like the grey sky as backdrop. Amazing that it stayed standing. I'm sure this concept is used in engineering....or am I around the twist :-)
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